No.
Why LORE Feels Essential to Creatives and Brand Builders Right Now
17.12.2025
17
Dec
2025
Why LORE Feels Essential to Creatives and Brand Builders Right Now
Number 00
Why LORE Feels Essential to Creatives and Brand Builders Right Now
December 17, 2025
The London Brief is a series from Future Commerce covering commerce and culture
of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, stories help us make sense of the world and ourselves by tethering us to purpose, identity, and community. When brands tap into those deeper myths, they can do far more than drive conversions…they can create long-term resonance. 

Our latest journal, LORE, has struck such a chord because we all want to forge our own unique place in culture, commerce, and the world. We all want to build deeper connections with our consumers and the distinct communities that align with who we are and who we hope to be. 

Across 280 pages, we explore why we gravitate toward certain brands and how Commerce can help us establish a sense of self and collective belonging. We examine why some brands have endured for centuries while others have experienced brief spurts of relevance driven by algorithmic trends. But it’s so much more than a book. It’s a psychological anchor and a creative lighthouse in the storm. It reminds strategic and creative leaders why meaning matters, and how they can shape culture through shared myths.

LORE wasn’t designed to be another business book. It was designed to be a companion for people who feel the industry accelerating beyond comprehension. A resource for those who sense that something vital is slipping: heart, context, and purpose.

And readers have confirmed exactly that.

“Brain food.” “Perspective-shifting.” “Not a typical business book.”

Melissa Minkow of CI&T, noted retail industry analyst featured on CNBC and cited in key industry publications such as CX Dive, Newsweek, and Modern Retail, described LORE as “the best kind of brain food.” Not the kind you skim mindlessly, but the kind of book you read intently for hours, days. 

Six months after reading LORE, she’s still thinking about it. The insights linger in the corners of her mind and have “elevated how I connect the past, present, and future of culture’s influence on commerce.”

That’s the power of mythmaking: It metabolizes slowly and continues to shape your thinking long after you read the last page.

Joseph Maxwell, CEO of SwiftOtter, made a point that underscores the book's real value. He explained that LORE “doesn’t talk about checkout optimization or advertising metrics.”

Instead, it digs into the underlying forces that drive consumer behavior: shared memory, cultural symbols, and collective identity. As he put it, “It’s not a step-by-step framework. It’s a deep, compelling perspective on what truly shapes buying decisions.”

That’s exactly what today's brand leaders are missing. They may have a trove of tactics, but they don’t have a worldview.

And Brandon Smithwrick, whose career spans roles at Kickstarter, Squarespace, Ralph Lauren, and his own creative practice, captured LORE’s thesis in one line:

“Today’s most enduring brands don’t market at consumers. They co-author meaning with them.”

LORE provides the language, lenses, and cultural vocabulary to do exactly that.

Why Readers Keep Reaching for LORE

The feedback is consistent across strategists, operators, founders, creatives, analysts, and brand leaders. LORE provides you with five key things:

It reconnects you with the big ideas. 

LORE pulls you out of the churn of deliverables and into a higher-altitude view of culture and commerce.

It changes how you listen to consumers.

Not as targets, but as collaborators. Co-creators. Participants in a shared narrative.

It gives you strategic clarity.

Not in the form of checklists, but through perspective. It explores what matters, what endures, and what moves people at a human level.

It sparks inspiration.

Every essay, poem, interview, and photo story ignites something dormant.

It’s beautiful.

LORE is designed to be displayed. Crafted to be kept. Aesthetic enough for your home, but substantive enough for your desk.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Anyone can claim their work is meaningful. But the readers prove it.

These testimonials reflect something far more important than customer satisfaction; they show that LORE is doing its job. This Journal reminds people that creativity, storytelling, and mythmaking are necessities.

The industry has become obsessed with optimization. LORE reopens the door to imagination.

The industry has become obsessed with speed. LORE reinstates depth and prioritizes slowing down.

The industry has become obsessed with performance. LORE realigns you with purpose.

If you want to build something that endures, you don’t need another dashboard. You need a story worth telling.

LORE helps you rediscover that story—and invent the next one.

Your journey toward true meaning and mythmaking starts here.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, stories help us make sense of the world and ourselves by tethering us to purpose, identity, and community. When brands tap into those deeper myths, they can do far more than drive conversions…they can create long-term resonance. 

Our latest journal, LORE, has struck such a chord because we all want to forge our own unique place in culture, commerce, and the world. We all want to build deeper connections with our consumers and the distinct communities that align with who we are and who we hope to be. 

Across 280 pages, we explore why we gravitate toward certain brands and how Commerce can help us establish a sense of self and collective belonging. We examine why some brands have endured for centuries while others have experienced brief spurts of relevance driven by algorithmic trends. But it’s so much more than a book. It’s a psychological anchor and a creative lighthouse in the storm. It reminds strategic and creative leaders why meaning matters, and how they can shape culture through shared myths.

LORE wasn’t designed to be another business book. It was designed to be a companion for people who feel the industry accelerating beyond comprehension. A resource for those who sense that something vital is slipping: heart, context, and purpose.

And readers have confirmed exactly that.

“Brain food.” “Perspective-shifting.” “Not a typical business book.”

Melissa Minkow of CI&T, noted retail industry analyst featured on CNBC and cited in key industry publications such as CX Dive, Newsweek, and Modern Retail, described LORE as “the best kind of brain food.” Not the kind you skim mindlessly, but the kind of book you read intently for hours, days. 

Six months after reading LORE, she’s still thinking about it. The insights linger in the corners of her mind and have “elevated how I connect the past, present, and future of culture’s influence on commerce.”

That’s the power of mythmaking: It metabolizes slowly and continues to shape your thinking long after you read the last page.

Joseph Maxwell, CEO of SwiftOtter, made a point that underscores the book's real value. He explained that LORE “doesn’t talk about checkout optimization or advertising metrics.”

Instead, it digs into the underlying forces that drive consumer behavior: shared memory, cultural symbols, and collective identity. As he put it, “It’s not a step-by-step framework. It’s a deep, compelling perspective on what truly shapes buying decisions.”

That’s exactly what today's brand leaders are missing. They may have a trove of tactics, but they don’t have a worldview.

And Brandon Smithwrick, whose career spans roles at Kickstarter, Squarespace, Ralph Lauren, and his own creative practice, captured LORE’s thesis in one line:

“Today’s most enduring brands don’t market at consumers. They co-author meaning with them.”

LORE provides the language, lenses, and cultural vocabulary to do exactly that.

Why Readers Keep Reaching for LORE

The feedback is consistent across strategists, operators, founders, creatives, analysts, and brand leaders. LORE provides you with five key things:

It reconnects you with the big ideas. 

LORE pulls you out of the churn of deliverables and into a higher-altitude view of culture and commerce.

It changes how you listen to consumers.

Not as targets, but as collaborators. Co-creators. Participants in a shared narrative.

It gives you strategic clarity.

Not in the form of checklists, but through perspective. It explores what matters, what endures, and what moves people at a human level.

It sparks inspiration.

Every essay, poem, interview, and photo story ignites something dormant.

It’s beautiful.

LORE is designed to be displayed. Crafted to be kept. Aesthetic enough for your home, but substantive enough for your desk.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Anyone can claim their work is meaningful. But the readers prove it.

These testimonials reflect something far more important than customer satisfaction; they show that LORE is doing its job. This Journal reminds people that creativity, storytelling, and mythmaking are necessities.

The industry has become obsessed with optimization. LORE reopens the door to imagination.

The industry has become obsessed with speed. LORE reinstates depth and prioritizes slowing down.

The industry has become obsessed with performance. LORE realigns you with purpose.

If you want to build something that endures, you don’t need another dashboard. You need a story worth telling.

LORE helps you rediscover that story—and invent the next one.

Your journey toward true meaning and mythmaking starts here.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, stories help us make sense of the world and ourselves by tethering us to purpose, identity, and community. When brands tap into those deeper myths, they can do far more than drive conversions…they can create long-term resonance. 

Our latest journal, LORE, has struck such a chord because we all want to forge our own unique place in culture, commerce, and the world. We all want to build deeper connections with our consumers and the distinct communities that align with who we are and who we hope to be. 

Across 280 pages, we explore why we gravitate toward certain brands and how Commerce can help us establish a sense of self and collective belonging. We examine why some brands have endured for centuries while others have experienced brief spurts of relevance driven by algorithmic trends. But it’s so much more than a book. It’s a psychological anchor and a creative lighthouse in the storm. It reminds strategic and creative leaders why meaning matters, and how they can shape culture through shared myths.

LORE wasn’t designed to be another business book. It was designed to be a companion for people who feel the industry accelerating beyond comprehension. A resource for those who sense that something vital is slipping: heart, context, and purpose.

And readers have confirmed exactly that.

“Brain food.” “Perspective-shifting.” “Not a typical business book.”

Melissa Minkow of CI&T, noted retail industry analyst featured on CNBC and cited in key industry publications such as CX Dive, Newsweek, and Modern Retail, described LORE as “the best kind of brain food.” Not the kind you skim mindlessly, but the kind of book you read intently for hours, days. 

Six months after reading LORE, she’s still thinking about it. The insights linger in the corners of her mind and have “elevated how I connect the past, present, and future of culture’s influence on commerce.”

That’s the power of mythmaking: It metabolizes slowly and continues to shape your thinking long after you read the last page.

Joseph Maxwell, CEO of SwiftOtter, made a point that underscores the book's real value. He explained that LORE “doesn’t talk about checkout optimization or advertising metrics.”

Instead, it digs into the underlying forces that drive consumer behavior: shared memory, cultural symbols, and collective identity. As he put it, “It’s not a step-by-step framework. It’s a deep, compelling perspective on what truly shapes buying decisions.”

That’s exactly what today's brand leaders are missing. They may have a trove of tactics, but they don’t have a worldview.

And Brandon Smithwrick, whose career spans roles at Kickstarter, Squarespace, Ralph Lauren, and his own creative practice, captured LORE’s thesis in one line:

“Today’s most enduring brands don’t market at consumers. They co-author meaning with them.”

LORE provides the language, lenses, and cultural vocabulary to do exactly that.

Why Readers Keep Reaching for LORE

The feedback is consistent across strategists, operators, founders, creatives, analysts, and brand leaders. LORE provides you with five key things:

It reconnects you with the big ideas. 

LORE pulls you out of the churn of deliverables and into a higher-altitude view of culture and commerce.

It changes how you listen to consumers.

Not as targets, but as collaborators. Co-creators. Participants in a shared narrative.

It gives you strategic clarity.

Not in the form of checklists, but through perspective. It explores what matters, what endures, and what moves people at a human level.

It sparks inspiration.

Every essay, poem, interview, and photo story ignites something dormant.

It’s beautiful.

LORE is designed to be displayed. Crafted to be kept. Aesthetic enough for your home, but substantive enough for your desk.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Anyone can claim their work is meaningful. But the readers prove it.

These testimonials reflect something far more important than customer satisfaction; they show that LORE is doing its job. This Journal reminds people that creativity, storytelling, and mythmaking are necessities.

The industry has become obsessed with optimization. LORE reopens the door to imagination.

The industry has become obsessed with speed. LORE reinstates depth and prioritizes slowing down.

The industry has become obsessed with performance. LORE realigns you with purpose.

If you want to build something that endures, you don’t need another dashboard. You need a story worth telling.

LORE helps you rediscover that story—and invent the next one.

Your journey toward true meaning and mythmaking starts here.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, stories help us make sense of the world and ourselves by tethering us to purpose, identity, and community. When brands tap into those deeper myths, they can do far more than drive conversions…they can create long-term resonance. 

Our latest journal, LORE, has struck such a chord because we all want to forge our own unique place in culture, commerce, and the world. We all want to build deeper connections with our consumers and the distinct communities that align with who we are and who we hope to be. 

Across 280 pages, we explore why we gravitate toward certain brands and how Commerce can help us establish a sense of self and collective belonging. We examine why some brands have endured for centuries while others have experienced brief spurts of relevance driven by algorithmic trends. But it’s so much more than a book. It’s a psychological anchor and a creative lighthouse in the storm. It reminds strategic and creative leaders why meaning matters, and how they can shape culture through shared myths.

LORE wasn’t designed to be another business book. It was designed to be a companion for people who feel the industry accelerating beyond comprehension. A resource for those who sense that something vital is slipping: heart, context, and purpose.

And readers have confirmed exactly that.

“Brain food.” “Perspective-shifting.” “Not a typical business book.”

Melissa Minkow of CI&T, noted retail industry analyst featured on CNBC and cited in key industry publications such as CX Dive, Newsweek, and Modern Retail, described LORE as “the best kind of brain food.” Not the kind you skim mindlessly, but the kind of book you read intently for hours, days. 

Six months after reading LORE, she’s still thinking about it. The insights linger in the corners of her mind and have “elevated how I connect the past, present, and future of culture’s influence on commerce.”

That’s the power of mythmaking: It metabolizes slowly and continues to shape your thinking long after you read the last page.

Joseph Maxwell, CEO of SwiftOtter, made a point that underscores the book's real value. He explained that LORE “doesn’t talk about checkout optimization or advertising metrics.”

Instead, it digs into the underlying forces that drive consumer behavior: shared memory, cultural symbols, and collective identity. As he put it, “It’s not a step-by-step framework. It’s a deep, compelling perspective on what truly shapes buying decisions.”

That’s exactly what today's brand leaders are missing. They may have a trove of tactics, but they don’t have a worldview.

And Brandon Smithwrick, whose career spans roles at Kickstarter, Squarespace, Ralph Lauren, and his own creative practice, captured LORE’s thesis in one line:

“Today’s most enduring brands don’t market at consumers. They co-author meaning with them.”

LORE provides the language, lenses, and cultural vocabulary to do exactly that.

Why Readers Keep Reaching for LORE

The feedback is consistent across strategists, operators, founders, creatives, analysts, and brand leaders. LORE provides you with five key things:

It reconnects you with the big ideas. 

LORE pulls you out of the churn of deliverables and into a higher-altitude view of culture and commerce.

It changes how you listen to consumers.

Not as targets, but as collaborators. Co-creators. Participants in a shared narrative.

It gives you strategic clarity.

Not in the form of checklists, but through perspective. It explores what matters, what endures, and what moves people at a human level.

It sparks inspiration.

Every essay, poem, interview, and photo story ignites something dormant.

It’s beautiful.

LORE is designed to be displayed. Crafted to be kept. Aesthetic enough for your home, but substantive enough for your desk.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Anyone can claim their work is meaningful. But the readers prove it.

These testimonials reflect something far more important than customer satisfaction; they show that LORE is doing its job. This Journal reminds people that creativity, storytelling, and mythmaking are necessities.

The industry has become obsessed with optimization. LORE reopens the door to imagination.

The industry has become obsessed with speed. LORE reinstates depth and prioritizes slowing down.

The industry has become obsessed with performance. LORE realigns you with purpose.

If you want to build something that endures, you don’t need another dashboard. You need a story worth telling.

LORE helps you rediscover that story—and invent the next one.

Your journey toward true meaning and mythmaking starts here.

In a world that feels increasingly disconnected, stories help us make sense of the world and ourselves by tethering us to purpose, identity, and community. When brands tap into those deeper myths, they can do far more than drive conversions…they can create long-term resonance. 

Our latest journal, LORE, has struck such a chord because we all want to forge our own unique place in culture, commerce, and the world. We all want to build deeper connections with our consumers and the distinct communities that align with who we are and who we hope to be. 

Across 280 pages, we explore why we gravitate toward certain brands and how Commerce can help us establish a sense of self and collective belonging. We examine why some brands have endured for centuries while others have experienced brief spurts of relevance driven by algorithmic trends. But it’s so much more than a book. It’s a psychological anchor and a creative lighthouse in the storm. It reminds strategic and creative leaders why meaning matters, and how they can shape culture through shared myths.

LORE wasn’t designed to be another business book. It was designed to be a companion for people who feel the industry accelerating beyond comprehension. A resource for those who sense that something vital is slipping: heart, context, and purpose.

And readers have confirmed exactly that.

“Brain food.” “Perspective-shifting.” “Not a typical business book.”

Melissa Minkow of CI&T, noted retail industry analyst featured on CNBC and cited in key industry publications such as CX Dive, Newsweek, and Modern Retail, described LORE as “the best kind of brain food.” Not the kind you skim mindlessly, but the kind of book you read intently for hours, days. 

Six months after reading LORE, she’s still thinking about it. The insights linger in the corners of her mind and have “elevated how I connect the past, present, and future of culture’s influence on commerce.”

That’s the power of mythmaking: It metabolizes slowly and continues to shape your thinking long after you read the last page.

Joseph Maxwell, CEO of SwiftOtter, made a point that underscores the book's real value. He explained that LORE “doesn’t talk about checkout optimization or advertising metrics.”

Instead, it digs into the underlying forces that drive consumer behavior: shared memory, cultural symbols, and collective identity. As he put it, “It’s not a step-by-step framework. It’s a deep, compelling perspective on what truly shapes buying decisions.”

That’s exactly what today's brand leaders are missing. They may have a trove of tactics, but they don’t have a worldview.

And Brandon Smithwrick, whose career spans roles at Kickstarter, Squarespace, Ralph Lauren, and his own creative practice, captured LORE’s thesis in one line:

“Today’s most enduring brands don’t market at consumers. They co-author meaning with them.”

LORE provides the language, lenses, and cultural vocabulary to do exactly that.

Why Readers Keep Reaching for LORE

The feedback is consistent across strategists, operators, founders, creatives, analysts, and brand leaders. LORE provides you with five key things:

It reconnects you with the big ideas. 

LORE pulls you out of the churn of deliverables and into a higher-altitude view of culture and commerce.

It changes how you listen to consumers.

Not as targets, but as collaborators. Co-creators. Participants in a shared narrative.

It gives you strategic clarity.

Not in the form of checklists, but through perspective. It explores what matters, what endures, and what moves people at a human level.

It sparks inspiration.

Every essay, poem, interview, and photo story ignites something dormant.

It’s beautiful.

LORE is designed to be displayed. Crafted to be kept. Aesthetic enough for your home, but substantive enough for your desk.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Anyone can claim their work is meaningful. But the readers prove it.

These testimonials reflect something far more important than customer satisfaction; they show that LORE is doing its job. This Journal reminds people that creativity, storytelling, and mythmaking are necessities.

The industry has become obsessed with optimization. LORE reopens the door to imagination.

The industry has become obsessed with speed. LORE reinstates depth and prioritizes slowing down.

The industry has become obsessed with performance. LORE realigns you with purpose.

If you want to build something that endures, you don’t need another dashboard. You need a story worth telling.

LORE helps you rediscover that story—and invent the next one.

Your journey toward true meaning and mythmaking starts here.

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